Opening hours: Closed Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays; open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9am-4pm, Thursdays, 11am-6pm; visiting may be arranged on other days.
The Museum is housed in the building of the Main Judaistic Library and the Judaistic Science Institute, designed in the eclectic style by Edward Eber and built in 1928-36. Opened in 1947, the Museum is part of the Jewish Historical Institute evolved in 1947 from the Central Jewish Historical Commission operating within the framework of the Central Committe of Jews in Poland. The Museum was the first organisation in the post-World War II Poland to collect and promote the cultural achievements of the Jewish nation across the centuries and to commemorate the fighting and martyrdom of Jews during the war.
The holdings are divided into several sections. The Painting, Drawing and Sculpture Section boasts Poland's most numerous collection of works by Jewish artists, notably GLOWA STARCA / An Old Man's Head and other paintings by Maurycy Gottlieb; the celebrated PORTRET DR. BERA KUPCZYKA / Portrait of Dr Ber Kupczyk and other works by Leopold Gottlieb, Maurycy's younger brother; a collection of works by Roman Kramsztyk, including the famous MEZCZYZNA W MELONIKU / Man in a Bowler Hat; works by Menasze and Efraim Seidenbeutel, Jan Gotard and Eliasz Kanarek. Sculpture includes mostly portraits and features such masterpieces as Konstanty Laszczka's GLOWA ZYDA / Head of a Jew. There are also holdings of metal art and a relatively modest collection of prints and drawings, including works by Bruno Schulz.
The Decorative Arts and Crafts Section contains religious cult objects used at home and in synagogues. There are gold and metal exhibits from Warsaw, Berlin, Wroclaw, Vienna, Moscow, Kiev and Jerusalem, such as a collection of perfume pots, a large collection of Toray trays, a set of synagogue silver from Chodziez. The Museum also boasts Poland's largest collection of cult textiles. Visitors will see Torah parchment scrolls and illuminated Esther Books as well as other Judaica, including objects to be found in 19th century synagogue interiors, such as fragments of a wooden aron ha-kodesh from the early 19th century, copper lights and Hanukkah brass menoras and candlesticks. The Historical Section contains exhibits documenting the fight and martyrdom of the Jewish nation during World War II.
Permanent exhibitions: "The Warsaw Ghetto: 15 November 1940 - 16 May 1943"; "A Gallery of Jewish Art"; "A Synagogue Interior".
Muzeum Żydowskiego Instytutu Historycznego w Polsce
ul. Tłomackie 3/5
00-090 Warszawa
Region: mazowieckie
Phone: (+48 22) 827 92 21 w. 104 i 107
Fax: (+48 22) 827 83 72
WWW: www.jewishinstitute.org.pl
Email: secretary@jewishinstitute.org.pl